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Video: President Obama Speaks on the Clean Power Plan

Monday, August 3, 2015

From the Chesapeake Climate Action Network (CCAN):

Clean Power Plan Gives Va. Win-Win Way to Tackle Coastal Flooding While Saving Consumers MoneyBy joining proven regional system, Va. can cut emissions efficiently and generate $200 million annually to invest in solutions
RICHMOND, Va.-Today the Obama administration issued the first nationwide rules for cutting carbon emissions from power plants under the Clean Air Act. The "Clean Power Plan" standard represents the most significant federal action yet to tackle climate change, which is driving the sea-level rise already routinely flooding Virginia's coastal communities. The final rules allow states to work together to develop regional compliance plans to reduce carbon dioxide pollution through 2030, and provide incentives to states who choose this option.
The Chesapeake Climate Action Network, joining a wide range of advocates across the state, believes that the best path forward for Virginia to meet the new federal standard is to join an existing nine-state pollution reduction system called the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI).
By incentivizing investments in energy efficiency, the RGGI program is proven to save consumers money. By capping carbon pollution and requiring power plants to buy emissions permits, the market-based RGGI system would send much-needed funds back to Virginia. Virginia would receive about $200 million annually through 2030 to reinvest in solutions, such as flooding adaptation projects, energy efficiency, and job training.
Dawone Robinson, Virginia Policy Director at the Chesapeake Climate Action Network, had the following statement in response:
"Virginia has a win-win solution at its fingertips. Joining the nine-state Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative is the smartest path forward for Virginia to lower emissions, while creating jobs and generating resources to invest in solutions. Over the past three years, RGGI has saved consumers $460 million, generated $1.3 billion in net economic value, and created 14,200 new jobs, all while reducing carbon pollution faster than the rest of the nation. Virginians currently pay some of the highest average electric bills in the country, primarily because we lag far behind on energy efficiency, a problem that RGGI resources would help solve.
"Notably, RGGI is the only plan on the table to jump-start a shared solution to sea-level rise in Virginia. Our coast needs a massive, coordinated investment to protect citizens, critical infrastructure, economic assets, and the world's largest naval base from flooding that's here now and getting worse. Bipartisan legislation that would move Virginia into the RGGI system -- a bill called the Virginia Coastal Protection Act -- would help Virginia meet the requirements of the Clean Power Plan while creating the state's first dedicated funding stream for flooding adaptation projects, which would also be a major job creator.
"The General Assembly has a huge opportunity to maximize the benefits of the Clean Power Plan by passing the Virginia Coastal Protection Act in 2016 and moving Virginia into RGGI."
Background: The Virginia Coastal Protection Act is a bipartisan solution introduced in the 2015 General Assembly by Senator Donald McEachin of Richmond and Delegate Ron Villanueva of Virginia Beach. In 2015, the bill gained broad and high-profile support, including from the cities of Portsmouth and Virginia Beach, the Virginia Chapter of the American Association of Pediatrics, the Virginia Housing Coalition, and statewide environmental groups. The bill would join Virginia into RGGI and create the Commonwealth Resilience Fund to reinvest the funds generated into statewide climate solutions. A full half of the funds would help localities pay for flooding adaptation measures, while additional funds would support energy efficiency and clean energy programs statewide, as well as economic development in Southwest Virginia.

"Climate change is the existential crisis of our time. President Obama's Clean Power Plan will combat this threat to our health, safety, and security of the generations who will inherit our environmental legacy," said Rep. Don Beyer. "Millions of American families depend on us to take the necessary steps to clean up our air and water. The Clean Power Plan is a smart and effective first step to limit carbon emissions from power plants, drive our transition to a zero-carbon renewable energy future, and make aggressive investments in clean energy technologies."The Clean Power Plan aims to cut greenhouse gas emissions from American power plants by 32 percent from 2005 levels by 2030.
Beyer continued: "We cannot continue to ignore our responsibility to address the dangers from climate change. The U. S. must commit to our role as an international leader on climate as we head toward talks at the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris this December. The Clean Power Plan is a powerful example to show the world our serious commitment to act on climate change."

I agree, this is an excellent plan, but now President Obama needs to take the next steps - stop Arctic oil drilling and rethink the entire, misgudied "all-of-the-above" energy strategy.

CREDO: This carbon rule won't offset President Obama's "all-of-the-above" energy strategyIn response to the Obama administration's release of the final carbon rule for existing power plants, CREDO Action Senior Campaign Manager Elijah Zarlin released the following statement:
"Reductions in carbon pollution are much needed, but it's hard to get too excited about this rule the same week that the president allows Shell to tempt fate in the Arctic. We have also now learned that this already too-weak rule is going to take another two years to kick in. President Obama has cleared the very low bar of the most climate pollution reductions of any president in history - but in context of the progress that is needed, it's hard to view this as especially ambitious."
The need to stop burning dirty fossil fuels and transition to clean sources of energy couldn't be greater. But in the context of President Obama's "all-of-the-above" energy strategy, which has increased the domestic production of fossil fuels, it is simply too weak and too late in starting.
If this rule is President Obama's signature achievement on climate change then his administration has missed a major opportunity to show real leadership on climate."Last year CREDO activists submitted more than 80,000 public comments that specifically urged the EPA to strengthen the emission reductions and not further delay implementation beyond 2020.

VIRGINIA LEADERS VOICE SUPPORT FOR EPA'S FINALIZED CLEAN POWER PLANRICHMOND, VA - Following the finalization of the Environmental Protection Agency's Clean Power Plan today, six Virginia elected officials, health professionals and business and faith leaders, including Senator Donald McEachin and Delegate Alfonso Lopez, voiced their support for the EPA's plan to combat climate change at a tele-press conference, and called on Virginia's local, state, and national leaders to do the same.
The Clean Power Plan sets the first-ever federal limits on carbon pollution from existing power plants and encourages investments in clean energy and energy efficiency. By cutting back CO2 levels, the Clean Power Plan helps reduce the greenhouse gases to blame for climate change, which threatens Virginia's coastal communities and the health of our most vulnerable citizens. Speakers on today's call discussed how the plan positively impacts Virginia's economy and public health.
"The CPP is good for Virginia and Virginians," said Senator Donald McEachin. "This is an important opportunity to mitigate the effects of climate change and address sea level rise, while creating jobs and economic growth for the Commonwealth.""Implementing the Clean Power Plan is an important opportunity for the Commonwealth of Virginia to address the impacts of climate change while growing our economy, creating a more sustainable energy future, and preserving our environment for future generations," said Delegate Alfonso Lopez. "We should embrace this opportunity."
"With investments in renewable energy and energy efficiency, Virginia can move towards compliance with this rule, while spurring job growth, attracting and retaining businesses, and protecting our local economies," said Matt Ruscio, Program and Policy Officer at Secure Futures, a solar development company headquartered in Staunton, VA.
Other participants on the call included: Gilda Niknezhad, a Nurse Practitioner and Norfolk resident impacted by climate change, Marisa Vertrees, a parisioner at St. Ann Roman Catholic Church in Arlington, and Alexei Laushkin, the Vice President of the Evangelical Environmental Network."We treasure our coastal community and the thought of losing it is not acceptable but neither is living here with increase risk of damage to life and property. The Clean Power Plan is a step in right direction toward mitigating the long term effects of climate change," said Gilda Niknezhad.
"As a Catholic, I feel a great moral responsibility to care for Creation, and to take care not to pollute the earth that we were given," said Marisa Vertrees. These new rules help us to decrease the 7.8 million tons of CO2 that Virginia alone puts into the atmosphere, putting us on the way to limiting and reversing the global climate change that is already affecting people and species around the world."
"Pro-Life Christians are particularly concerned about the impact of pollution on the unborn and children's health. Pope Francis in Laudato Si' talked about the need to build a culture that is capable of dealing with significant moral challenges like climate change," said Alexei Laushkin, Vice President of the Evangelical Environmental Network. "The President's announcement on the Clean Power Plan is a historic step in that direction. As people of faith we know issues of pollution require all of us to work together towards a culture of life."
"Today's action is thanks to all the Virginians, together with millions of Americans, who called for strong climate action," concluded Sarah Bucci, Director of Environment Virginia. "Virginians have only to gain from these new carbon pollution standards, which were designed with flexibility for states to develop individual plans that play to our existing economic strengths and unique circumstances. With support from Virginia's leaders, and backing from the public, we can ensure our children and grandchildren live healthier and safer lives in a cleaner and more productive economy."

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The purpose of Blue Virginia is to cover Virginia politics from a progressive and Democratic perspective. This is a group blog, founded by me (Lowell Feld), but now including several other progressive writers. I can't speak for the other "front pagers," but I consider myself a progressive in the tradition of Teddy Roosevelt, Franklin Roosevelt, JFK, RFK and actually a bunch of progressive Republicans (e.g., Jacob Javits, Lowell Weicker). As such, I believe in expanding opportunities to all, utilizing government as a tool to promote the general welfare and the common good, protecting the environment for ourselves and for future generations, and expanding the rights promised in our Constitution and Bill of Rights to all Americans.

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